The Ronin Samurai

Chapter 23

Court Session

(Crystal Castle, Throne Room)

After the treatment that was given to them by Northstar, Hanako and the Equestrians made their way back to the throne as the court was about to begin. The moment Hanako sat on the throne, Amber along with a few of the dark knights, and citizens of the crystal empire entered into the room with a chained up Pharynx making their way towards Hanako. The group stopped once they were a few feet in front of the human as she glared down at the changeling in disgust and annoyance.

“Court is now in session!” Amber yelled as Pharynx began to struggle in his restraints. “This will be considered the first sentence of the newly reformed Crystal Empire. Lady Hanako will be the judge, jury, and possible executioner should the changeling continue to show signs of resistance or insubordination!” She said as Pharynx stopped struggling and glared at Amber.

“Pharynx, you are being charged with insubordination during the diamond dog raid, killing the parents of Rufus the diamond dog, and trying to commit suicide to escape punishment. How do you plead?” Hanako asked as the Pharynx glared at the human, but chose to say nothing. “Be forewarned, saying nothing will not help you in this case.”

“I have nothing to say to you, human. It’s because of you that you made us changelings weak and pathetic.”

“Weak and pathetic? In case you haven’t noticed, you guys were on the verge of death because of Chrysalis’s failed plan to take over Equestria...not offense Chrysalis.”

“None taken,” Chrysalis said before returning her attention onto Pharynx as Hanako continued.

“Like I was saying. You all were on the verge of death and would likely have died were it not for my help. And what do you do, piss on my generosity like a dog pissing on the floor.”

“We didn’t need your help! We would rather die than accept help from someone who made us weak,” he said as Hanako stared at him in a mix of dumbfoundedness and annoyance. She soon let out a sigh of pity as she looked over at Chrysalis.

“Does he speak for your subjects?” She asked as the queen shook her head. “So it’s okay for me to punish him as I see fit?”

“Be my guest,” Chrysalis said as she noticed the glare she was giving to Pharynx.

“Wonderful,” Hanako said as she turned her attention back onto the changeling. “You got a lot of balls claiming that every changeling would rather die than accept help from me. You don’t make up the entire hive, you don’t speak for the entire hive unless they allow it, you are a soldier that protects his home from invaders. What you did is unforgivable.”

“That rich coming from someone like you, human.” Pharynx said as Hanako raised an eyebrow at him. “Should I enlighten the ponies of the crystal empire about what you did before coming here?”

“You mean the fact that I killed and slaughtered anyone under the lord I was forced to serve?” Hanako said as she leaned back in her seat. The ponies in the room started chatting to each other for a good few seconds before going quiet as the human spoke. “I was fifteen at the time before becoming a ronin. I was sold and bought into a family of trained samurais that serve the lord that they served. The training was hard and brutal, but it was needed due to the war that was going on. To show that I wasn’t a waste of resources, I was tasked to kill everyone within a nearby village. That means everyone. Every man, woman, and child.” She said as it caused some of the citizens and Equestrians to gasp in shock. “I could make up a crap ton of excuses. Like I was only a kid at the time, they forced me to do it, or else they would’ve killed me on the spot, or something else. But I’m not going to make that an excuse.” Hanako soon stood up from her seat as she made her way over to where Pharynx was. “I did what I did because I wanted to live and not die in a gutter or worse. I did it because I was scared, just like everyone-”

“Pony.” Amber corrected as she quickly dodged an oncoming sandal thrown by Hanako. “You suck at aiming.”

“Shut it!” Hanako said as she heard some of the ponies in the room chuckle. “As I was saying. Just like anypony else. I was scared of dying at a young age. But that’s still no excuse for my actions and those actions made me change, never would I serve under someone like that ever again. Nor do I expect anypony here to serve somepony like that. Soldiers need to think for themselves, stand up, and speak up. Even if they will get killed for standing up against their king or queen knowing that what they’re ordering is wrong.” She said before looking back at the changeling. “You on the other hand had a choice, and you chose to kill Rufus’s parents in cold blood. You have the skills to incapacitate your enemies, but you chose to kill them!”

“You never said whether you wanted them dead or alive!”

“It should’ve been obvious when you saw the child. But that didn’t stop you from killing him along with his family!” She yelled which caused the ponies in the room to gasp. “You think just because you’re a soldier you can get away with doing something like that? I think not. It may have been too late to save the child’s parents, but at least it wasn’t too late for Rufus.”

“Who are you to judge me!? You’re nothing more than a foreigner!”

“A foreigner who saved this empire from a mad king. The ponies elected me as their ruler, and I’m going to bring them into the new era. One where they don’t have to fear any would-be invaders trying to conquer them. Instead of thinking about yourself, think about the well-being of others and consider their feelings.” Hanako said as she grabbed the changeling’s face. “You are the type that prefers to kill instead of thinking. That’s something I will not allow in this kingdom.” She said before looking at Amber. “What are the punishments for something like this? Because I want to make sure that I don’t end up killing this fool.”

“Normally King Sombra would reward him for his efforts. But seeing how he’s dead, something like this would fall under the category of either banishment, life in prison, or killing him.”

“Not bad choices,” Hanako said before returning to her throne. “I think banishing him might be for the best.”

“You would send me away instead of killing me yourself? Coward.”

“I’m sending you away because you need to learn how to be a bit more caring and smarter than what you are now. Take a trip around the world, see new sites, experience new things that don't revolve around fighting or war-related stuff.”

“And you expect me to do that? You don’t think I’ll come back with an army and try to kill you?”

“If I can take down King Sombra and the leader of the diamond dogs that raided us, what makes you think I wouldn’t be able to handle someone like you and your so-called army?” She asked while grinning. “By the time you return here with your so-called army, we will be more ready for when you try to kill me.” Hanako soon turns her attention onto Amber. “I’ll leave you with the process of kicking him out of the kingdom?”

“Indeed,” Amber said as she walked to Pharynx. Once she was in front of him, her horn began to glow as shackles made out of magic appeared on the changeling’s hooves, abdomen, neck, and horn. “This spell I placed you was used to imprison a unicorn’s magic before being executed. But I modify it to lock away your magic and keep you from returning to the crystal empire. The only way to remove it is for you to do as lady Hanako said. Should you attempt to return, then the spell will teleport you away within ten seconds or less.”

“I will give you a fair warning, the moment I do return, I will kill the human. You can guarantee that.”

“I doubt that,” Amber said as she motions for two of the dark knights to his side. “Take him to the gates. If he tries to escape, break his legs, and then heal them afterward.” She ordered as the knights nodded and began to drag Pharynx out of the throne room.

“You all are fools!” Pharynx yelled as he struggled in the dark knight's magical hold. “This human will be the death of all of you. You will meet a death worse than anything you can imagine! You all will be sorry!”

“Again, I doubt that.” The unicorn said as she watched the changeling being dragged out and doors closing behind them. Hanako lets out a sigh of annoyance as she cracks her neck.

“Think I made the right call?”

“Hard to say. It might come back to bite you in the butt later on, but having you kill him on the spot might cause the citizens to rethink their opinion about you being their leader.” She said before looking up at Celestia and the other Equestrians. “Not to mention they might see you as a threat. Especially the pink one with the horn and wings.”

“Right, she’s still sore about not being the ruler of the Crystal Empire…Think she’ll try and dethrone me sooner or later?”

“More like wait until you’re dead before trying to reclaim the lost throne. Which won’t be happening anytime soon given what you did and leave it to the ponies of the empire to choose their leader via voting.”

“Good to know that,” Hanako said before pulling herself up from her seat. “Court is over everyone-!”

“Pony.”

“I swear to god I will throw you out a window if you keep correcting me like that!”

“And I’ll just teleport back into the room,” Amber said with a smug grin on her face. Hanako’s left eye twitched upon hearing this as she lets out a sigh of annoyance and turns her attention onto the ponies in the room.

“Everypony return to your homes or whatever it is you were doing before coming here,” Hanako said as she noticed the ponies leaving. “For those who are from Equestria, meet me at the dining hall for lunch. Right now I am hungry and would like to eat.” She said before noticing Amber leaving. “You’re not joining?”

“Normally I would, but I need to check on the citizens to see if they’re okay and capture that Gilgamesh being.”

“Right…almost forgot about him. Well when you do return, we’ll be in the dining hall for a good couple of hours or so.”

“I’ll try to make it back as soon as possible. Mainly because I prefer not to have you do something stupid like challenging them to a hoof wrestling contest.” Amber said as she teleported out of the throne room before Hanako could reply to her comment.

“...God that pony knows how to push my buttons…but having her as my second in command was the best call.”